Warren man wins $25K a year for life thanks to random number generator

Aaron Essenmacher of Warren had been playing the Michigan Lottery's Lucky For Life game a lot recently. And when he did, he usually played the same sets of numbers. That was until he decided to change things up.

He recently decided to add a different set of numbers — one he got from a random number generator he found online — and it generated a lot of cash.

Essenmacher's new set of numbers matched the five white balls drawn Sept. 15 — 2-18-27-41-45 — to win the game's prize of $25,000 a year for life, according to the Michigan Lottery.

He purchased his ticket at Happy Days Party Store located at 32855 Schoenherr Road in Warren, and opted to receive a one-time lump sum payment of $390,000 instead of annuity payments of $25,000 a year for 20 years or life, whichever is greater.

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“I was checking the winning numbers online the day after the drawing and when I saw I’d matched five, I couldn’t believe it!" Essenmacher, 50, told the Michigan Lottery. "What shocked me even more was that the numbers I won on are the ones I got from the random number generator. I kept scanning my ticket on the app over and over again because I couldn’t believe I’d really won!"

He plans to use the money to pay bills and take a vacation.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Lottery: Warren man wins Lucky For Life's $25K a year prize